The Day of Atonement
(Leviticus 23:26–32; Numbers 29:7–11)
Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of two of Aaron’s sons when they approached the presence of the LORD. Lev 10:1-2 And the LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron not to enter freely into the Most Holy Place 1behind the veil in front of the mercy seat 2on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat. Exo 30:101Ki 8:10-12Heb 10:19-20Heb 9:25Heb 9:7-81Ki 8:62Ch 5:14Exo 40:34-35
This is how Aaron is to enter the Holy Place: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. Lev 4:3Heb 9:24-25Heb 9:7Lev 1:10Lev 8:18Heb 9:12Lev 1:3Lev 8:14 He is to wear the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments. He must tie a linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are holy garments, and he must bathe himself with water before he wears them. Exo 28:39-43Exo 30:20Ezk 44:17-18Heb 7:26Lev 6:10Lev 8:6-7Exo 39:27-29Exo 28:2 And he shall take from the congregation of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. 2Ch 29:21Ezr 6:17Lev 8:2Num 29:11Ezk 45:22-23Heb 10:5-14Heb 7:27-28Lev 4:13-21
Aaron is to present the bull for his sin offering and make atonement for himself and his household. Lev 9:7Heb 9:7Ezk 43:19Ezk 43:27Ezr 10:18-19Heb 5:2-3Heb 7:27Job 1:5 Then he shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Rom 12:1Lev 1:3Lev 12:6-7Lev 4:4Mat 16:21
After Aaron casts lots for the two goats, one for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat, 3 Act 1:23-26Jon 1:7Pro 16:331Sa 14:41-42Ezk 48:29Jos 18:10-11Num 26:55Num 33:54 he shall present the goat chosen by lot for the LORD and sacrifice it as a sin offering. Act 2:23Act 4:27-28 But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement by sending it into the wilderness as the scapegoat. 1Jn 2:2Heb 9:23-24Lev 16:21-221Jn 3:16Isa 53:4-112Co 5:21Heb 7:26-27Lev 14:7
When Aaron presents the bull for his sin offering and makes atonement for himself and his household, he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering. Lev 16:6Heb 7:27Heb 9:7Lev 16:3 Then he must take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense, and take them inside the veil. Exo 30:34-38Lev 10:1Rev 8:3-4Num 16:46Exo 31:11Isa 6:6-7Num 16:18Heb 9:14 He is to put the incense on the fire before the LORD, and the cloud of incense will cover the mercy seat above the Testimony, 4 so that he will not die. Exo 25:211Jn 2:1-2Exo 30:1Exo 30:7-8Exo 28:43Heb 4:14-16Heb 7:25Heb 9:24 And he is to take some of the bull’s blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the east side of the mercy seat; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the mercy seat. Heb 9:25Lev 4:5-6Heb 9:13Heb 10:4Heb 9:7Lev 4:17Lev 8:11Heb 10:10-12
Aaron shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and bring its blood behind the veil, and with its blood he must do as he did with the bull’s blood: He is to sprinkle it against the mercy seat and in front of it. Heb 9:7Heb 2:17Heb 9:12Heb 9:3Heb 5:3Heb 6:19Lev 16:2Heb 9:25-26
So he shall make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the impurities and rebellious acts of the Israelites in regard to all their sins. He is to do the same for the Tent of Meeting which abides among them, because it is surrounded by their impurities. Heb 9:22-23Exo 29:36-37Ezk 45:18-19Lev 16:18Lev 8:15Jhn 14:3 No one may be in the Tent of Meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he leaves, after he has made atonement for himself, his household, and the whole assembly of Israel. Exo 34:3Isa 53:6Lev 16:10-11Luk 1:101Pe 2:241Pe 3:181Ti 2:5Act 4:12
Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it. He is to take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. Lev 4:7Exo 30:10Heb 5:7-8Lev 16:16Lev 4:18Heb 2:11Heb 9:22-23Jhn 17:19 He is to sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites. Zec 13:1Ezk 43:18-22
When Aaron has finished purifying the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he is to bring forward the live goat. Ezk 45:20Lev 16:162Co 5:19Col 1:20Heb 7:25Lev 6:30Lev 8:15Rev 1:18 Then he is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities and rebellious acts of the Israelites in regard to all their sins. He is to put them on the goat’s head and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man appointed for the task. Isa 53:62Co 5:21Ezr 10:1Pro 28:13Psa 51:3Dan 9:3-20Exo 29:10Lev 26:40 The goat will carry on itself all their iniquities into a solitary place, and the man will release it into the wilderness. Isa 53:11-12Jhn 1:291Pe 2:24Gal 3:13Heb 9:28Mic 7:19Psa 103:10Psa 103:12
Then Aaron is to enter the Tent of Meeting, take off the linen garments he put on before entering the Most Holy Place, and leave them there. Ezk 44:19Ezk 42:14Lev 16:4Php 2:6-11Rom 8:3Heb 9:28 He is to bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his own clothes. Then he must go out and sacrifice his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering to make atonement for himself and for the people. Lev 16:3-5Heb 10:19-22Exo 28:4-14Exo 29:4-5Heb 9:10Lev 14:9Lev 22:6Lev 8:6-9 He is also to burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar. Exo 29:13Lev 4:8-10Lev 16:6Lev 4:19
The man who released the goat as the scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may reenter the camp. Heb 7:19Lev 16:10Lev 11:25Lev 14:8Lev 15:27Lev 15:5-11Lev 16:21-22Lev 16:28
The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; and their hides, flesh, and dung must be burned up. Lev 4:21Lev 6:30Lev 4:11-12Heb 13:11-14Lev 8:17Mat 27:31-33 The one who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and afterward he may reenter the camp.
This is to be a permanent statute for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month, you shall humble yourselves 5and not do any work—whether the native or the foreigner who resides among you— Isa 58:3Num 29:7Dan 10:12Exo 20:10Isa 58:5Lev 23:21Lev 23:27-32Lev 23:36 because on this day atonement will be made for you to cleanse you, and you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD. Jer 33:8Psa 51:2Eph 5:261Jn 1:7-9Heb 10:1-2Psa 51:10Psa 51:7Ezk 36:25-27 It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, that you may humble yourselves; it is a permanent statute. Lev 23:32Isa 58:5Exo 31:15Exo 35:2Isa 58:3Lev 25:4
The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest shall make atonement. He will put on the sacred linen garments Exo 29:29-30Lev 16:4Exo 29:9Lev 4:16Lev 4:3Lev 4:5Num 20:26-28 and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, 6 the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the assembly. Lev 16:16Lev 16:24Lev 16:6Exo 20:25-26Lev 16:11Lev 16:18-19 This is to be a permanent statute for you, to make atonement once a year for the Israelites because of all their sins.” Heb 9:7Heb 9:25Exo 30:10Heb 10:14Heb 10:3Lev 23:31Num 29:7
And all this was done as the LORD had commanded Moses.